The former owner of a Dunwoody day care facility is scheduled to be sentenced Friday after entering a guilty plea on charges related to the death of a 4-month-old in her care.
Amanda Hickey, now 48, ran the Little Lovey day care from the basement of her home for more than 10 years before the Feb. 3, 2021, incident. According to investigators, Hickey put Charles “Charlie” Cronmiller on his stomach for a nap and didn’t check on him for more than two hours before discovering him unresponsive, his mouth covered in vomit. She was arrested two days later.
A 20-count indictment charged Hickey with murder in the second degree and child cruelty in the second degree, accusing the caregiver of “disregarding the known risks” of a prone sleeping position. State-issued guidance requires babies to be placed on their back for sleep unless the parent has provided a doctor’s note authorizing another position.
The investigation uncovered multiple instances of abuse, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Hickey is accused of swinging babies by their feet, slamming them into the ground, pulling their hair, pushing and tripping children and placing others in unsafe positions for sleep. The abuse was captured on video, prosecutors said.
Hickey was licensed to care for six children, but prosecutors have said that eight were inside her home on the day of the baby’s death. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning revoked Hickey’s license a few weeks later.
During a Sept. 22 hearing before Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, Hickey waived her right to a jury trial. She entered an Alford plea on the two charges related to the 4-month-old’s death, maintaining her innocence, and admitted guilt for the remaining 18 charges. The plea was non-negotiated.
The state recommended she be sentenced to 40 years, with the first 30 to be served in prison and the remainder on probation.
As conditions of her sentence, the state recommended she have no contact with any children under the age of 10, including the victims, and be prohibited from working at a day care facility ever again. Jackson is expected to consider the recommendation and that of the victims’ families at Friday’s hearing.
The maximum possible sentence for all 20 charges outlined in the indictment is 190 years plus 120 months to serve in custody. Hickey has been out of jail on bond since March 2021.
